I picked up a copy of the Backwoodsman magazine the other day(I really need to get a subscription) and found an interesting article by Peter Gumm on making a very efficient hot burning burn barrel. since I had picked two barrels up at a yard sale for $3ea., I thought I would give it a go. Mine were used for paint so I have a nice sealable lid to keep moisture out. The idea is to drill a few holes in the bottom to allow any water to drain out. Then cut four 3"x8" slats near the bottom 90 degrees apart. I just used a step bit to start two holes for each slat at diagonal corners of the slat to be cut out and then used a sawsall to cut out the slats. You then cover the slats with hardware cloth to keep debris from falling out. Easy project that should give good results

The hardware cloth was left over from a project a week ago to make a drying bed for walnuts and gourds.

"Many of lifes failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up".....Thomas Edison

Ridgerunner wrote:I picked up a copy of the Backwoodsman magazine the other day(I really need to get a subscription) and found an interesting article by Peter Gumm on making a very efficient hot burning burn barrel. since I had picked two barrels up at a yard sale for $3ea., I thought I would give it a go. Mine were used for paint so I have a nice sealable lid to keep moisture out. The idea is to drill a few holes in the bottom to allow any water to drain out. Then cut four 3"x8" slats near the bottom 90 degrees apart. I just used a step bit to start two holes for each slat at diagonal corners of the slat to be cut out and then used a sawsall to cut out the slats. You then cover the slats with hardware cloth to keep debris from falling out. Easy project that should give good results

The hardware cloth was left over from a project a week ago to make a drying bed for walnuts and gourds.

Some places allow burn barrels..around here they don't.Too many people like burning their wet,stinky garbage and newspapers in them. The county where my house is in the boonies wants you to have your fires on the ground..No burn barrels!I think too many people start fires in barrels and then just up and leave them still smoldering,head into town or something.A bit of wind comes up when you aren't home with layers of smoldering newspaper in the barrels and you could have major problems.

The views and opinions expressed by this person are his own and not the general consensus of others on this website.Realityguy

I hope you kept one of them hole free. You can start making your own hardwood charcoal.

Can't understand why a community would prefer fires on the ground over burn barrels. We just had an "urban" camper start a brush fire here the other day. Connied could have schooled him a bit. He decided to camp near the local mall in a small wooded area (really beautiful area too). He started a fire to cook or make coffee and it got out of control. Windy day, ground fire, lack of common sense all added up to a several acre brush fire. Luckily the wind was blowing in favor of the firefighters or several business and apartment complexes would have gone up.

"People are not persuaded by what we say, but rather by what they understand."

I think the reasons are that people will burn just about anything in a burn barrel from trash,newspapers,plastics, tire, or whatever they can fit in there..and just let it go for days unattended.They feel people will be more attentive to a ground fire and a "charged hose" is mandatory close by.We have clean air up here and intend to keep it that way. That is also an area where trash pickup is pretty optional with some people storing garbage and hauling it to the dump once or twice a month..or pickup.It's on the fringes of civilization with the last house on that road about 2 miles up the road..for the next 25 miles or so..just cabins and very few residences in that area. Most summers are total burn bans up there during the summer months,even campfires..for four months or so.One of the major factors is the logging industry in the area.They can't log sometimes also during the summer months..slash burns,etc are banned even though they have a D8 or 9 dozer standing by as a "preventive shovel" for dirt. Burn barrels with good air flow burning things like newspapers can spread burning debris quite a distance out the top.A ground fire doesn't have quite the air flow.I should also add that there is a limit of 3' diameter for the ground fires..not BONFIRES.

The views and opinions expressed by this person are his own and not the general consensus of others on this website.Realityguy

1/2" hardware cloth should be mandatory for all burners to prevent the burning ash from escaping. I think most people that have burn barrels in my area throw food scraps in with the paper, stink to all get out at the end of the burn and smolders stinky smoke...............bahhh---Humbug

Today I saw on hammockforums a photo of a campfire made inside of a very large stainless steel clothes dryier tumble barrel. They make good burner containers. I've had my eye open for one.

New York State has a state wide open burning ban, making burning barrels illegal and even fire rings in many areas... My city here in SWNY has a zero tolerance attitude towards any form of open burning other than the use of charcoal or propane grills for cooking... A fire ring, with or without a pack of wieners or marshmallows, gets you a citation... There are far too many condemned buildings that too often have ignited due to sparks from open burning in neighboring yards... Outside the city they are marginally more lax...

What is the world coming to... I used to burn papers almost every day, in a responsible manner, when I was younger...